1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a laser therapy apparatus suitable for prevention and treatment of a dental disease such as periodontosis or alveolar pyorrhea, and also for prevention and treatment of a skin disease. The present invention also relates to a laser therapy method suitable for prevention and treatment of a dental disease such as periodontosis or alveolar pyorrhea, and also for treatment of a skin disease.
2. Description of the Related Art
In periodontosis and alveolar pyorrhea, gums are invaded by bacteria being accumulated in dental plaque, and inflammation of the gum occurs. Furthermore, the inflammation progresses to depths of a dental-surrounding tissues and a crevice called a periodontal pocket is made. In recent years, laser beam irradiation on the affected part of a tooth has been conducted for the treatment in the mouth or oral cavity, such as incision, hemostasis, and anti-inflammation, dental caries prevention, and removal of tartar/dental plaque. In this case, a medical laser apparatus having a laser beam generator in the main body of an irradiation probe has been used.
However, a laser beam applies to the conventional dentistry to surgically deal with inflammation region and a periodontal pocket of the gums invaded with bacteria, as mentioned above, rather than a direct treatment for periodontosis, alveolar pyorrhea and the like.
On the other hand, as a technique in which titanium oxide is applied on the dental therapy, for example, the following one has been proposed. That is, in the technique, a photocatalyst material such as titanium dioxide having oxidizability with  irradiation of light is arranged so as to be brought into contact with a tooth or cover a tooth, so that dental plaque, which is the cause of dental caries or periodontal disease, is broken down. Thus, the technology prevents these diseases. For detailed explanation, in the technology, a liquefied material prepared as a mixture of powdered titanium dioxide and rubber-based polymer resin is applied to coat the tooth on treatment. As a light-emitting material, a phosphorescent material is proposed in. For example, see Japanese Laid-Open specification Heisei09-175923.
In addition, there is proposed a technology to prevent the dental caries and the periodontal disease and prevent the generation of offensive odor, in which a hardened material that contains metal-carrying titania fine powders is irradiated appropriately with visible light to sterilize the hardened material and peripheral tooth region. For example, see Japanese Laid-Open specification Heisei05-32516.
However, these technologies are just prevention technologies for periodontal disease, that is, these are not practical therapeutic technologies for periodontal disease and alveolar pyorrhoea.